Starting State Associations One State at a Time

I’m Tim Alden, retired Optician since 2013, and twice President of the Opticians Association of Washington. I was on the OAW Board for 15 years (1998-2013). We hired Donna Hatch in either 2002 or ‘03 as our Executive Director. She has always been eager to accept new challenges, much to our benefit. At this point she knows just about anyone worth knowing in the optical business, including vendors and optical educators. She plans year’s ahead setting up hotel venues and education schedules. As well as our local OAW, she has become a renowned leader in the national optical business through her work with the Opticians Association of America. Donna is also an excellent troubleshooter, fixing glitches as they sometimes come along, as no event will ever run at 100% problem free. Oh, and by the way, did I mention she’s done all this while holding down a full-time day job as a Licensed Dispensing Optician at her clinic in Yakima, WA? We on the OAW Board used to kid that Donna never sleeps, as she always responded to our emails no matter what time of night. So, yes, I’d recommend her to be your Event Planner. I know she would do an excellent job and fulfill all your expectations.

Donna is a firecracker and go getter! She flat-out makes things happen and she will do it for you too. We love working with her every chance we get and can’t wait for our next event together. D&D Management Services makes the entire process seamless every time!

It has been my pleasure working with Donna Hatch as my friend and , Optical event planner, and industry colleague. Donna and started working together approximately 6 years ago and have proven to be one of the best trade show planners in our industry. Donna has a proven ability to resourcefully manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously. With her high level of integrity, connections and persistence, each event has been a huge success for our company. These events have many moving parts and Donna always goes above and beyond the call of duty for not only for the attendee’s, but the vendors as well. Donna Hatch is a strong leader who possesses a gift for putting together these events. She is considered to be one of the most valuable assets not only to our company, but the Optical industry as well.

In the many years of being in the OAW (Optician Association of Washington) member as well as board member, Donna from D &D Management Services LLC has always planned out our amazing conventions even years in advance. I’m not sure how she manages to stay so graceful and at ease while the events occur. She knows how things will go and makes the magic happen. I feel lucky to have her as our executive director and planner for all our events.

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Donna Hatch since 2006. I am an educator/optician and she is the executive director for the Opticians Association of Washington. My primary business relationship with her has been in the area of conventions that I have spoken at for her organization. I have found her to be very organized and detail oriented with her work in all areas of conventions including taking care of all of the details for me as a speaker. She manages to ensure that not only the large details but all of the little details are taken care of to ensure that her members have a brilliantly flawless experience. Over the years, I know that as I work with Donna, I can rest assured that I will have a stellar experience as a speaker.

Donna is always a delight to work with. She is so on top of things and it is always a pleasure to speak with the groups she has scheduled me to lecture to.

Donna is extremely organized and leaves no detail overlooked. The events are always well executed, attended and successful. She clearly has a passion for the optical industry, and is an avid supporter of licensure. I have attended and exhibited at multiple national events over the years, and can say Donnas’ events are worth every penny. I look forward to attending the future events organized by D&D Management Services.

I have had the absolute pleasure over the last few years working with Donna and D&D Management Services, in planning multiple events for the Opticians Association here in Washington. Some of these events take place throughout a whole weekend and require a multitude of different tasks from the venue, invites, menus, banquets and speakers. Without a doubt, we have always had extremely successful and fun filled event with the help of D&D Management Service. As you could imagine this these types of events require a lot of precise and knowledgeable planning, and that’s why I always reach out to D&D Management Service because I know I will be in good hands. I definitely recommend looking them up for your next event, you will not be disappointed with their hard work, dedication to your event, and their outstanding customer service. They treat your event as if it’s their own.

As Professor Emeritus, national lecturer and current President of the National Federation of Opticianary Schools, I have had the privilege of working with Donna Hatch as an optician event planner throughout the years. I consider Donna to be the consummate professional, having a great eye for detail and making sure that all facets of her planning are carefully scrutinized. Whatever Donna undertakes, she does so with professionalism and enthusiasm. I would not hesitate to recommend Donna for any future event you may be planning.

As a speaker/educator in the Optical field spanning over 4 decades, I have witnessed hundreds of Optical events. My experience with D&D Management Services has shown a zeal that stretches beyond the typical “get it done” mentality to that of a personal touch. Donna Hatch has taken her talents as a Master Optician to new levels. Her knowledge of the industry as well as dedication to securing quality, affordable education is comparable to much larger events.Donna and her company would be a valuable asset to planning an event for any Optical organization.

I had the pleasure of working with Donna Hatch and D&D Management for the facilitation of the Opticians Association of Iowa’s very first virtual educational conference. Donna was a wealth of information, she was professional, able to keep our board organized, walk us through what to expect, help us market the event, procured and distributed the CE credits, she hosted and moderated our event, she took the worry out of technology troubleshooting, and she single-handedly made our very first virtual conference a success!I would highly recommend working with Donna and D&D Management if you are needing help with your virtual conference needs!